After dinner, aside from the father and son, Cheng Guanghai and Cheng Zongyang, Mrs. Zhou of the Cheng Family was in their courtyard with the two younger children, enjoying the cool evening air.
Smoke from burning mugwort, meant to drive away mosquitoes, drifted out from the two inner bedrooms.
Inside the storeroom, the father and son measured out an empty patch of ground by the dim light of a lamp.
Looking at the cleared space, Cheng Guanghai asked in confusion:
"Son, does it have to be in the corner? Wouldn't the middle be easier for access?"
Cheng Zongyang explained:
"Dad, the middle gets more foot traffic, so it's more likely to be discovered. Besides, the center isn't a good spot to dig out. The side is better.
The place we're digging needs to have an exit leading outside. That way, even if this entrance is blocked, we'll have another escape route.
I've already checked. We can put the exit in the mountain forest behind the house. We'll only need to dig about a hundred feet from here to there."
Cheng Guanghai was dumbfounded. "Aren't we just digging a cellar? One big enough to hide a few hundred pounds of grain and our family? Why are we digging a tunnel?"
At this, Cheng Zongyang smiled and said:
"Dad, even a cunning rabbit has three burrows. This is a long-term project, so there's no need to rush. We'll just take our time. Don't want to dig so fast we collapse the house."
Cheng Guanghai nodded. "Alright, we'll do it your way. Now, go wash up and get some rest. I'll take my time with this."
Cheng Zongyang said no more and left the storeroom.
This storeroom had originally been a pigpen. After the pigs were sold and they couldn't afford to raise any more, it was converted into a storage space. Naturally, it was filled with all sorts of odds and ends.
It could be converted back in the future if need be.
Half an hour later, Cheng Zongyang returned with a bucket. The smoke in the rooms had already dispersed.
Everyone then returned to their rooms to rest.
Instead of entering the Wilderness World again, Cheng Zongyang went straight to sleep.
He was exhausted. Even with his robust physique, he couldn't take a full day of running around like that. Besides, his body was still developing, and he didn't want his growth to stagnate at this stage.
The night passed uneventfully.
The next day, Cheng Zongyang rose early. Carrying dried rations and the same items as the day before, he left home and headed for the mountains again.
This time, he brought a piece of gray cloth and a few sticks of charcoal to use for drawing a map.
Back home, Cheng Guanghai and his wife started preparing the tools and materials needed to dig the cellar.
On the way, Cheng Zongyang noticed far fewer villagers than the day before. 'The village chief's meeting must have worked,' he guessed.
They were probably preparing to enter the Inner Mountain as a group.
'I wonder how many casualties there will be this time,' Cheng Zongyang mused.
After entering the mountains, Cheng Zongyang ventured deep inside until he reached the spot from yesterday.
Seeing that no one was around, he had a thought, and vanished from the hollow.
Reappearing in the market stall, Cheng Zongyang set down his back basket and immediately looked toward the cabinet, incredibly curious about what items would be refreshed in its slots today.
His gaze fixed on the three faintly glowing slots. A moment later, information for each one appeared.
——
[Insect Repellent Medicine]
Description: A special powder made from eight types of Medicinal Materials that can repel snakes, insects, rats, and ants. It also has some effect on beasts with a keen sense of smell.
Quantity: 5
Points: 10
——
[Body Refining Skill]
Description: A Beginner Cultivation Technique for Martial Artists. Cultivating it can enhance one's physical strength.
Grade: Beginner
Restriction: Lower Three Grades
Points: 300
[Note: Can be upgraded with Points]
——
"Holy crap!!"
Forgetting to even look at the next item, Cheng Zongyang was stunned by the second one.
'It can actually generate a Martial Arts Technique?!'
Ever since he'd gained access to the Wilderness World, the thought of learning Martial Arts had taken root in his mind.
But it wasn't something he could learn just because he wanted to. He had once looked into the requirements for learning martial arts in the county town: money, age, and aptitude.
So, at his current age, while it wasn't too late, he was past the prime age for laying a solid foundation.
'Three hundred Points!'
Cheng Zongyang glanced at his own Points—224.5!
'I'm still short by a little over seventy! Three days should be enough time!'
As long as he didn't buy them, the items would stay for three days without refreshing. That meant he had just under three days to collect the necessary Points!
As for the note about upgrading with Points, he wouldn't know if that meant upgrading his Realm or the Cultivation Technique itself until after he bought it.
Suppressing his excitement, he looked at the third item slot.
——
[Refined Long Saber]
Description: A weapon forged and hammered multiple times from Refined Iron. You can hack, stab, or slice with it—whatever you like.
Grade: White
Durability: 500
Weight: 15 lbs
Points: 100
——
'Another great item!'
After witnessing the power of the Ironwood Bow, he knew that a graded weapon was on a completely different level from the Firewood Knife he owned.
'Another hundred Points… Looks like I'll have to earn at least two hundred Points today.'
He wanted all three of the items available today.
The Insect Repellent Medicine would help him explore the forest and could even be used to secure his territory.
So, he wasn't going to pass up on this item either.
Wasting no time, he looked at the acquisition column.
The ten creatures on the acquisition list hadn't changed.
He moved on to the quest board.
A quick scan revealed that the quest to acquire bear paws had been replaced, but the others remained. His quest for Snake Galls still had two days left on the clock.
However, he froze for a moment when he saw the new quest that had replaced it.
——
①: Acquire one Centennial Ginseng
Points: 300
Time Limit: 24 hours
——
'Centennial Ginseng?' Cheng Zongyang's head snapped toward the moss-wrapped bundles in the corner of the stall.
Inside them were the thirteen ginseng roots he had found.
He rushed over and began to unwrap the largest ginseng, the one he had packed by itself.
But in the next instant, he paused.
He didn't know the exact age of this ginseng, but judging by its appearance, it was at least several decades old, if not a full century. It might even be older.
A ginseng like this could probably be sold for several hundred taels of silver in the outside world. With that kind of money, he could accomplish a lot.
As for Points, he could always earn more by hunting animals in the forest or finding the creatures on the acquisition list.
So, was it worth trading such an expensive ginseng for 300 Points?
After a moment of contemplation, he abandoned the idea of selling it right away.
The rules of the quest board were—
①: As long as a quest is not accepted, it will remain available for three days.
②: Once a quest is accepted, its time limit will begin.
The exception is quests marked with[No Limit]. These long-term quests remain active unless you manually abandon them.
③: If a time-limited quest is failed, its slot on the quest board will not be refreshed with a new quest.
This meant that the only quest that had been refreshed on the board was yesterday's bear paw quest.
'That gives me a little over three days, but less than four, to get the Points. As long as I can earn enough to buy the weapon and the Cultivation Technique, I won't have to resort to selling the ginseng.'
Three hundred Points was the equivalent of hunting three hundred creatures. It would be quick if he could find another place like the Snake Cave; otherwise, just by hunting normally, he might not even manage it in three days.
'No need to rush. I'll just wait and see.'
Compared to Points, he felt that what he needed more right now was money.
After all, he had plenty of time to earn Points. Even if he gave up on the other two items, he could still scrape together enough for the Cultivation Technique.